IEEE Computer Society published the 6th edition of this year’s IEEE Software Magazine (Nov.-Dec. 2021, pp. 17-23, vol. 38, https://www.computer.org/csdl/magazine/so/2021/06), in which our development leads Martin Gloor (Abrantix Pty Ltd, Newcastle, Australia), Matija Mazalin and Adrian Zimmermann (both Abrantix AG, Zurich, Switzerland) published a technical article about how we automate payment terminal testing and how to achieve continuous integration for systems that are almost impossible to virtualize.
This article describes our journey from no automation to a complete system including robotics and modern software APIs. Based on this extensive experience we have also launched market leading payment test automation tools for our clients.
Abstract:
Today, continuous integration (CI) is state of the art for agile software practices. Teams can choose from a range of tools, such as Jenkins, Atlassian Bamboo, and Microsoft Azure DevOps, that facilitate CI, from build servers to deployment platforms. For pure software solutions and where hardware can be virtualized, CI is relatively easy to achieve thanks to fully automated testing. It becomes significantly harder for systems involving hardware that have to be interacted with when executing test cases.
Currently the article is available free of charge at: https://www.computer.org/csdl/magazine/so/2021/06/09585187/1xZlzCA2UXC
Martin Gloor: “At Abrantix, we strongly invest in research and development. We are innovators and engineers who incrementally develop the best products for our clients. We are super proud that this continuous commitment has allowed us to publish in one of the most renowned software publications.”
About IEEE, IEEE Computer Society, and the IEEE Software Magazine
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is the world's largest technical professional organization for the advancement of technology.
IEEE and its members inspire a global community to innovate for a better tomorrow through its more than 400,000 members in more than 160 countries, and its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities. IEEE is the trusted “voice” for engineering, computing, and technology information around the globe.(https://www.ieee.org/about/index.html)
IEEE Computer Society (sometimes abbreviated the Computer Society or CS) is a professional society of the IEEE. Its purpose and scope is "to advance the theory, practice, and application of computer and information processing science and technology" and the "professional standing of its members". The CS is the largest of 39 technical societies organized under the IEEE Technical Activities Board.
The IEEE Computer Society sponsors workshops and conferences, publishes a variety of peer-reviewed literature, operates technical committees, and develops IEEE computing standards. It supports more than 200 chapters worldwide and participates in educational activities at all levels of the profession, including distance learning, accreditation of higher education programs in computer science, and professional certification in software engineering.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_Computer_Society )
IEEE Software is a bimonthly peer-reviewed magazine and scientific journal published by the IEEE Computer Society covering all aspects of software engineering, processes, and practices. Its mission is to be the best source of reliable, useful, peer-reviewed information for leading software practitioners — the developers and managers who want to keep up with rapid technology change. It was established in 1983 and is published by the IEEE Computer Society. According to the Journal Citation Reports, the journal has a 2018 impact factor of 2.945.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_Software)
About Terminal Test Automation
EFTPOS terminals become more complex and require more testing and increasing demand will require faster release cycles. Automating testing allows to keep up with these demands, but is hard to achieve because buttons need pressing, and cards need to be inserted. Therefore, test automation solutions combining smart software, robots and other hardware are required. Such solutions are faster, less expensive and lead to better quality and higher earnings compared to manual testing. The solutions Abrantix offers enable the automation of up to 80% of regression or certification tests. (https://www.abrantix.com/en/payment-test-automation.html)
This article describes our journey from no automation to a complete system including robotics and modern software APIs. Based on this extensive experience we have also launched market leading payment test automation tools for our clients.
Abstract:
Today, continuous integration (CI) is state of the art for agile software practices. Teams can choose from a range of tools, such as Jenkins, Atlassian Bamboo, and Microsoft Azure DevOps, that facilitate CI, from build servers to deployment platforms. For pure software solutions and where hardware can be virtualized, CI is relatively easy to achieve thanks to fully automated testing. It becomes significantly harder for systems involving hardware that have to be interacted with when executing test cases.
Currently the article is available free of charge at: https://www.computer.org/csdl/magazine/so/2021/06/09585187/1xZlzCA2UXC
Martin Gloor: “At Abrantix, we strongly invest in research and development. We are innovators and engineers who incrementally develop the best products for our clients. We are super proud that this continuous commitment has allowed us to publish in one of the most renowned software publications.”
About IEEE, IEEE Computer Society, and the IEEE Software Magazine
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is the world's largest technical professional organization for the advancement of technology.
IEEE and its members inspire a global community to innovate for a better tomorrow through its more than 400,000 members in more than 160 countries, and its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities. IEEE is the trusted “voice” for engineering, computing, and technology information around the globe.(https://www.ieee.org/about/index.html)
IEEE Computer Society (sometimes abbreviated the Computer Society or CS) is a professional society of the IEEE. Its purpose and scope is "to advance the theory, practice, and application of computer and information processing science and technology" and the "professional standing of its members". The CS is the largest of 39 technical societies organized under the IEEE Technical Activities Board.
The IEEE Computer Society sponsors workshops and conferences, publishes a variety of peer-reviewed literature, operates technical committees, and develops IEEE computing standards. It supports more than 200 chapters worldwide and participates in educational activities at all levels of the profession, including distance learning, accreditation of higher education programs in computer science, and professional certification in software engineering.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_Computer_Society )
IEEE Software is a bimonthly peer-reviewed magazine and scientific journal published by the IEEE Computer Society covering all aspects of software engineering, processes, and practices. Its mission is to be the best source of reliable, useful, peer-reviewed information for leading software practitioners — the developers and managers who want to keep up with rapid technology change. It was established in 1983 and is published by the IEEE Computer Society. According to the Journal Citation Reports, the journal has a 2018 impact factor of 2.945.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_Software)
About Terminal Test Automation
EFTPOS terminals become more complex and require more testing and increasing demand will require faster release cycles. Automating testing allows to keep up with these demands, but is hard to achieve because buttons need pressing, and cards need to be inserted. Therefore, test automation solutions combining smart software, robots and other hardware are required. Such solutions are faster, less expensive and lead to better quality and higher earnings compared to manual testing. The solutions Abrantix offers enable the automation of up to 80% of regression or certification tests. (https://www.abrantix.com/en/payment-test-automation.html)
